Monday, July 22, 2013

Week #21 - Mayonesa, body burritos, and ONE VERY AWESOME COMPANERA!

Hello all!!!

Well, we`re off into another week in Argentina, and man is
it COLD! Mom, you really weren´t exaggerating when you talked about the weather
here :) Then again, that could just be us, since Hermana Borup (in the other
district) parades around in a cardigan and nothing more (okay, she is wearing more,
but nothing more for the cold :) It´d probably be extra chilly, and slightly
mission inappropriate, if she really wore nothing but a cardigan :)

On that subject of cold (no, I´m not done complaining about
it yet), I´ve developed quite a knack this last week of perfecting ´the
body burrito´. Although it sounds like a funky dance move, don´t be fooled - it
consists of literally rolling your blankets around you, then hopping over to
your mattress to collapse for the night. In the end, pretty much nothing shows
but my nose. It´s glorious :)

Fun facts about Argentina for the week!

1) The kids here are obsessed with either of two different
things: Violetta (the Argentina version of Hannah Montana, and no, she doesn´t have
violet purple hair or anything, because that was my first thought when I heard
the name) or Ben 10. The boys here LOVE Ben 10, the cartoon network show.
Stickers, shirts, shoes, you name it.

2) Mayonesa. Different word, but same nasty stuff. Again,
they love Mayonnaise here! If your mind can handle this - imagine a plate
of rice with nothing but a cup of mayonnaise on top. (Okay, maybe I´m being a
little dramatic here, but I am not a big fan of the stuff
:)

3) Our shower broke this week! It decided to throw a temper
tantrum and start melting things. The plug, specifically. We´ve downgraded from
a box on the wall with water and a shower head to sponge baths. Hopefully, we
get it fixed soon, because I´m not feeling entirely adventurous right now. I
like my hygiene, thank you very much.

Also, I was wanting to do a spotlight on my trainer, Hermana
Miranda. I have wanted to do this for quite some time now, but have waited because
1) I learn a new miracle story about her life almost everyday, and 2) I´m not
100% confident that I completely understand said miracle stories as explained to me in Castellano, ha ha :)
However, I´ll do a little bio sketch so you can get to know the wonderful woman
I spend every minute with during my time in Paraná.

﻿﻿﻿﻿

My amazing, Chilean cook :) Who I happen to live with. And
spend every waking moment with. Lucky me!

Hermana Daniela Miranda

1) She almost died when she was younger, but was
miraculously healed by her mother's prayer of faith

2) She is the oldest of 4 children, and has 3 younger
brothers, one of whom died at birth.

3) She has a degree in criminology and worked as a forensic
scientist for the Santiago Chile police department before she left on a
mission.

4) When she was about 16, her Dad´s business partner
ripped them off with some shady business, and her family lost everything. They
were homeless for 7 years.

5) When Hna Miranda decided she wanted to go on a mission,
she didn´t have any money to do so, but was determined to do her part. She
brought all her belongings to the vendor streets of Santiago, and literally
sold all she owned to earn money to go on her mission.

6) Shortly before she was supposed to go to Argentina, she
was diagnosed with breast cancer. She didn´t have the time or money to deal
with it, and asked for a blessing from her Dad. When she went in for surgery,
she had again been miraculously healed.

7) Her first week in Argentina, she fell and broke her knee;
however, after all she had done to get on her mission, she was determined to
stay, and hobbled the cobblestone streets of Argentina on crutches for a few
months until she recovered.

8) She can cook like nobody´s business. Seriously. So
good.

9) She has a green belt in Karate and Tae Kwon Doe.

10) She can break it down and do the Meringue like nobody´s
business! (further proof that I can´t dance, I´ve no idea how to spell that
:)

Basically, she´s wonderful, and an amazing example to me :)

Brief thought for the week - I´ve been thinking about the
scripture in D&C 8:2-3 that talks about
receiving revelation through our mind and heart. I realized
that while this is the recipe to distinguish revelation from our Father in
Heaven, the revelation to both mind and heart do not always come at the same time. There are times when we´ve grown up with
the knowledge in our minds our whole lives, and in a moment, experience that
sensation when it truly translates to our heart, and we understand -. we
understand the miracle that Christ knows us all personally, that He really
suffered for us, and that He truly wants us - US - to live with Him
forever.

When we truly have the humility and pray in faith to
translate things over and recognize them with our hearts, this is when we can
truly learn and understand the Atonement! What a blessing :)

These are just a few of the topic addressed. If you have any questions, please visit this website or request to meet with the LDS missionaries serving in your area (similar to how I'll be serving in Argentina), who will provide reliable and true answers to any questions you may have. You can request to meet with LDS missionaries HERE: